Giants scouting report

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Hitting

On their run toward a championship last year, the Giants relied heavily on the home run, which was not the way the team was built. With a full year of Buster Posey and perhaps a Pablo Sandoval renaissance, they hope to have a more balanced offense. The Giants are not going to challenge for the league lead in runs scored, but with their pitching, they do not have to do so.

Pitching

This staff has the talent and diversity to stake its claim as the best in the National League. Even the three left-handers in the rotation - Barry Zito, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner - provide different looks. The bullpen is stacked with power right-handers and a side-winding lefty (Javier Lopez). Pitching will keep the Giants competitive in the vast majority of games.

Projected starting lineup

1 Andres Torres, CF: The friendliest big-leaguer on the planet needs to prove that his breakout 2010 season was not an outlier in what had been a mediocre professional career.

The San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey drives in two runs with a double in the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottsdale on Friday.

The San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey drives in two runs with a double in the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottsdale on Friday.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

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Brian Wilson pitched one inning in a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Monday.

Brian Wilson pitched one inning in a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Monday.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

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Giants scouting report

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2 Freddy Sanchez, 2B: The Giants have a classic No. 2 hitter and an excellent defensive second baseman. The main question, given his medical history, is how many games the team will benefit from that.

3 Aubrey Huff, 1B: Huff's history has him alternating between good years and bad; he must fight the perception that he is due for a fall. If and when Brandon Belt takes over at first base, Huff will move to right.

4 Buster Posey, C: Talent evaluators who came through Giants camp this spring agreed that the 2010 Rookie of the Year has the tools to win a Most Valuable Player award. You don't hear the term "sophomore slump" with this cat.

5 Pat Burrell, LF: Nobody in the organization believes Pat the Bat will get 500 at-bats this season. Mark DeRosa could get some starts in left, and Aubrey Huff will land there if and when Brandon Belt becomes the everyday first baseman.

6 Pablo Sandoval, 3B: Spring training can be a mirage, but a slimmed-down Panda showed a quicker bat and better footwork at third base. What a boon for the Giants if he could recreate 2009. His defense this spring was shaky.

7 Cody Ross, RF: Ross' performance in the postseason will buy him a lot of rope if he starts the year slowly. Right field has been a vacuum since Randy Winn left. The Giants would love Ross to own the position as soon as he returns.

8 Miguel Tejada, SS: General manager Brian Sabean likes experience at this position and, lacking any ready alternatives in the minor-league system, signed the 2002 AL MVP who has lost a lot of power and range as he aged.

Rotation

RHP Tim Lincecum: If he remains fully committed to his conditioning work, he has a great chance to challenge all those touted Phillies pitchers and win his third Cy Young.

LHP Jonathan Sanchez: Every spring, the team hopes this will be the year Sanchez establishes consistency to go with his wicked stuff. If he ever puts it together, watch out.

RHP Matt Cain: His elbow tendinitis came as a shock because he is so strong and (usually) healthy. Bet on manager Bruce Bochy to baby him early in the season.

LHP Barry Zito: Zito seems to have a really good stretch every season, and it's a mystery why he cannot reproduce it for longer periods. Still seeking his first winning season with the Giants.

LHP Madison Bumgarner: Unlike last spring, Bumgarner looked confident and consistent all spring. His shutdown performance in the World Series shows he's a No. 5 only because someone has to be.

Bullpen

That manager Bruce Bochy could list several credible candidates to close if Brian Wilson were hurt speaks well of this bullpen's depth. Look at the power arms besides the closer: RHs Ramon Ramirez and Santiago Casilla and LH Jeremy Affeldt. The deception side (RH Sergio Romo, LH Javier Lopez) is solid, too. That said, Wilson's strength and resilience were a big factor in the Giants' division championship and postseason run, so it was unnerving when he went down with back and side injuries during spring training.

Bench

A healthy Mark DeRosa would give Bochy the offensively potent super-sub that this team has lacked over the years. DeRosa could get 400 at-bats starting at third base one day, second base the next and left field the day after that. Mike Fontenot will be Miguel Tejada's chief backup at short. Barring a trade, Aaron Rowand will be the game's highest-paid backup center fielder. Catcher Eli Whiteside will not win many games with his bat, but he has the pitchers' trust and will not start much anyway with Posey atop the depth chart.